Jordan Westburg 2023

[RZNJ]

13 minutes ago, Sanity Check said:

If Mountcastle can't be traded for "decent value", do you move him anyway to make room for those that are ready?? 

Trey Mancini got us Seth Johnson and Chayse McDermott.   I'm good to go with something like that.  Mountcastle's type doesn't carry a ton of value even if he had an .800 OPS but he was something like .729 last year and in danger of being worse.  His OPS has dropped significantly each of his 3 years in the league and this leopard shows no signs of changing his spots.  The biggest issue is no true 1B to replace him.

[emmett16]

On 5/1/2023 at 7:51 AM, RZNJ said:

Trey Mancini got us Seth Johnson and Chayse McDermott.   I'm good to go with something like that.  Mountcastle's type doesn't carry a ton of value even if he had an .800 OPS but he was something like .729 last year and in danger of being worse.  His OPS has dropped significantly each of his 3 years in the league and this leopard shows no signs of changing his spots.  The biggest issue is no true 1B to replace him.

I think Kjerstad will be ready by the break. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by emmett16

[emmett16]

On 4/26/2023 at 3:57 PM, RZNJ said:

He does and he probably has more than most but if you’ve noticed, most of our prospects are good at going oppo for homers.  Mayo is about the only one I can think of who hasn’t incorporated it yet.

Of the newer guys Fabian seems like pull power only as well.

Mayos arms are so long he can pull a pitch with power 1-2 balls off the plate.   I think he goes up there (is told) to hit ball in air to pull side.  I think his specific plan is different than others in the system.  
 

Back to Westburg.  He is a thick dude made of pure muscle.  He is strong as a ox. 

[Chaka Garcia]

1 hour ago, emmett16 said:

Mayos arms are so long he can pull a pitch with power 1-2 balls off the plate.   I think he goes up there (is told) to hit ball in air to pull side.  I think his specific plan is different than others in the system.  
 

Back to Westburg.  He is a thick dude made of pure muscle.  He is strong as a ox. 

I wonder if Westburg is a better fit at 1B, seems like a strong dude. Seems he's an average defender at 3B/2B/SS.

[emmett16]

23 hours ago, Chaka Garcia said:

I wonder if Westburg is a better fit at 1B, seems like a strong dude. Seems he's an average defender at 3B/2B/SS.

He’s 6’2” - I think he’s be fine but that’s selling his D short.  He can play 2b/ss/3B.  I’d be fine if he was the super IF utility playing all over the IF but I think he loses a little bit of value just playing 1b. They want to showcase him as a MLB SS. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by emmett16

[Aglets]

EDITED due to human stupidity.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Aglets

[Tony-OH]

15 minutes ago, Aglets said:

Holliday is hitting .235/.381/.529 so far for the Ironbirds.   4 walks to 4 K's.  Great to see the plate discipline is still there. 

Only 5 games so far (and worth noting that none of them in Aberdeen so far) but hopefully the kid shows he is ready to move quickly.

Think you're in the wrong thread.

[Aglets]

Gah, can't believe I did that.  Sorry gents.

[Aglets]

OK, I'll see if I can redeem myself and ask something on topic here.

Over 500 PA at the AAA level now.   Hitting very well.

I can't help but wonder............is this guy more likely to be called up to be a main contributor this year?    Or is he more likely to be trade bait?

500 PA of near .900 OPS is a pretty big sample size................

[interloper]

1 hour ago, Aglets said:

OK, I'll see if I can redeem myself and ask something on topic here.

Over 500 PA at the AAA level now.   Hitting very well.

I can't help but wonder............is this guy more likely to be called up to be a main contributor this year?    Or is he more likely to be trade bait?

500 PA of near .900 OPS is a pretty big sample size................

I could see him being added to the 40-man and given a look similar to Ortiz. Maybe they want a RH batter with more pop than Ortiz and take the opportunity to evaluate him. I know there's some trickery with not putting Johnson on the 60-day yet, but I don't really see them hesitating to do that if they want to get a look at Westburg. 

I think you kind of owe it to yourself to at least see how he looks at the ML level before you sling him in a trade. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by interloper

[emmett16]

6 hours ago, interloper said:

I could see him being added to the 40-man and given a look similar to Ortiz. Maybe they want a RH batter with more pop than Ortiz and take the opportunity to evaluate him. I know there's some trickery with not putting Johnson on the 60-day yet, but I don't really see them hesitating to do that if they want to get a look at Westburg. 

I think you kind of owe it to yourself to at least see how he looks at the ML level before you sling him in a trade. 

I really wanted him to make the team out of ST.  All he does is perform and do what’s he’s asked.  I don’t see a path for him with Frazier and Urias on the team. 

[emmett16]

21 hours ago, interloper said:

I could see him being added to the 40-man and given a look similar to Ortiz. Maybe they want a RH batter with more pop than Ortiz and take the opportunity to evaluate him. I know there's some trickery with not putting Johnson on the 60-day yet, but I don't really see them hesitating to do that if they want to get a look at Westburg. 

I think you kind of owe it to yourself to at least see how he looks at the ML level before you sling him in a trade. 

I wonder if Gunnar doesn’t pick it up in the next 2-3 weeks he gets the Grayson AAA tune up treatment and we get to see Westburg get his opportunity.  

[Bemorewins]

47 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

I wonder if Gunnar doesn’t pick it up in the next 2-3 weeks he gets the Grayson AAA tune up treatment and we get to see Westburg get his opportunity.  

I would really hate to see that. I would rather to remain (frustratingly) in this holding pattern. Until one of them or both (depending on who we decide to keep) can be packaged in a trade. The worse thing for the Baltimore Orioles is for a Gunnar Henderson to waste value sitting at AAA. As a matter of fact, the worse thing for us is for Westburg, or Ortiz, or Cowser or Norby to be sitting at AAA by season's end.

By the deadline, we have to decide who stays and who goes. It does nothing for the Orioles to hoarde Minor League talent for too much longer.

[emmett16]

2 hours ago, Bemorewins said:

I would really hate to see that. I would rather to remain (frustratingly) in this holding pattern. Until one of them or both (depending on who we decide to keep) can be packaged in a trade. The worse thing for the Baltimore Orioles is for a Gunnar Henderson to waste value sitting at AAA. As a matter of fact, the worse thing for us is for Westburg, or Ortiz, or Cowser or Norby to be sitting at AAA by season's end.

By the deadline, we have to decide who stays and who goes. It does nothing for the Orioles to hoarde Minor League talent for too much longer.

Trade ain’t happening until July.  Would like to see Jordan get his shot and Gunnar get things going.  Beauty of depth and positional redundancy. 

[Bemorewins]

Just now, emmett16 said:

Trade ain’t happening until July.  Would like to see Jordan get his shot and Gunnar get things going.  Beauty of depth and positional redundancy. 

I agree with you that the deadline is the next logical window for trades to happen. 

No onto the later statement.. It sounds like you really like Westburg and who am I to tell you not to?lol

I'm not a guy that falls in love with particular prospects. But I want them all to do well so much in that it helps the Baltimore Orioles. Having said that, if your scenario played out and Jordan Westburg killed it when he got to the Majors and they sent Gunnar down. Then what?

What do you do with the much more talented, higher rated player/prospect in Gunnar? Leave him in AAA? Trade him? Platoon them?

Also, if the consensus of evaluators is correct, and Gunnar is much more talented than Westburg. What informs your confidence that Westburg will come up to the Bigs and have immediate success without experiencing the transitional struggles that Gunnar has?

For the record, I don't care if we keep both, trade both, or keep one and trade the other. So long as the Baltimore Orioles get the kind of return that will provide a significant boast to the starting rotation. IMO - we have so much talent that we can trade both of them and still have adequate replacements for SS, 3B, and 2B long and short term.